Back end of last year I bought a longboard for cruising around the streets and then started using it to commute the 2 miles when I had to go to my main office, really enjoyed it but it's a cutaway with no kicktail. I have now put my 70mm Red Kryps onto my 32 inch Grosso double kick as there is the obvious need to ollie up kerbs rather than looking like a complete twat keep getting off the board everytime I come to one.

However, despite watching numerous videos and spending time with very tolerant teenagers at the local skate park the ollie remains elusive.

I have tried it on the tarmac, concrete, carpet and grass, stationary and rolling, I just can't do it! Thought I had it just the once but landed, board shot out backwards and there was much laughter from spouse and teenage daughters as I writhed around in agony on the patio.

Does anyone out there have the easy magic formula for the 'Ollie', if so please hand it over and receive my enternal gratitude.

No magic formula, that is for sure. It is kind of like driving a stick shift, no matter how much someone tells you how to do it until you get the actual mechanics down on your own it never makes any sense. I am teaching my son how to ollie and I am realizing that I can explain to him forever but he has to figure out a certain amount on his own. Just practice with the front wheels in the grass and tail on concrete so you can get a good pop and build confidence. Just really work on hitting the tail popping the board almost vertical and kicking it forward with your other foot, don't even try to land it. Once you get that down then you can work on pushing the board forward with the your front foot after making the popping motion and being on top of the board. It will one day click. I spent an entire summer as a kid doing this and then one day it just clicked. I hope that helps.

Last edited by Fumanchu2 on Thu Apr 16, 2015 3:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

No problem. I am still trying to get better at them myself. One thing that I have to mentally tell myself is to try and make it all flow and not to be too mechanical. That might be hard now because it is all mechanics when you are first starting off, but try and relax when doing them.

This is where I am myself. Started on the longboard. I just keep going in fits and jerks and can only just get the rear wheels off the ground. I've just been trying on carpet though. I think like already has been said its down to plenty of practice.

I've been learning to ollie as well, and I've found that I can do mini ollies up and over small driveway lips. I don't even truly snap the tail, just cruise up with speed, lift the front trucks and kind of hop without snapping the tail. The basic motion is the same as an ollie, however my front foot is further forward and doesn't really slide up. I just try and roll my ankle and use the side of my foot to push the nose back down.

sounds like your not kicking your front foot up the board enough when you attempt them. You should have your front foot half way up the board when you start however when you land it will be much further up and very close to the nose.

Push the tail down, jump and kick in to the board to push the tail off the ground and level the board out.

its a simultanous jump and kick

Actually screw my poor description there must be a 'Braile" tutorial which are usually excellent just like Warwicks transitions trick tips are.

misterbleepy wrote:ta for that link - going to try and make a proper effort to learn to ollie this year

No problem you'll get them. Then before you know it you will be finding different obstacles to ollie starting small then working up to decks on decks

I had a great session at Harrow last summer with some younger skaters I say in their 20's. We found a cone and were just messing around on the platform. Hours of fun just because we found an obstacle to put on the flat platform. despite having th whole skatepark to skate.

Thats why skating is so great. I want to learn to manaul when I get back. Again hours of fun just rolling and trying to stay on your back wheels... always used to be in awe of Mike V's manuals when I was a young skater.

GarethV wrote:sounds like your not kicking your front foot up the board enough when you attempt them. You should have your front foot half way up the board when you start however when you land it will be much further up and very close to the nose.

Push the tail down, jump and kick in to the board to push the tail off the ground and level the board out.

its a simultanous jump and kick

Actually screw my poor description there must be a 'Braile" tutorial which are usually excellent just like Warwicks transitions trick tips are.

GarethV wrote:sounds like your not kicking your front foot up the board enough when you attempt them. You should have your front foot half way up the board when you start however when you land it will be much further up and very close to the nose.

Push the tail down, jump and kick in to the board to push the tail off the ground and level the board out.

its a simultanous jump and kick

Actually screw my poor description there must be a 'Braile" tutorial which are usually excellent just like Warwicks transitions trick tips are.

There's no magic formua, but there are some tricks to it.One is to get some really crappy rusted bearings just for learning. That way you can learn on a hard surface without worrying about the board slipping away. The more seized they are, the better.Remember to jump UP, not forward. Bend your front knee so that as you jump it faces forward.You have to get your body to lift a bit, not just your legs, which means you want a decent up-push from your feet. You won't get that if your back foot is hanging off the tail. It needs to be further in.You do, however, have to bring your knees up to your body. The ollie will only be as high as your BACK foot lifts, so concentrate on it.It's a bit of a see-saw motion. Don't drag your front foot towards the nose until you've heard the tail hit the ground. Personally, I'm much better at ollies onto higher ground than I am at going over something and then coming back down to the same height. You might be too. Removes a certain amount of trepidation (for me anyway).

It IS very difficult, nomatter how basic people say it is. It's only basic in that it is the basis for much more stuff, but it's by no means easy. Don't be disheartened, it's do-able, it just take more time than it looks like it should.

[quote="Bogey"]Here's my most recent attempts from last week. I would recommend extra supportive underwear for viewing as its quite laughable and lame[GRINNING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]https://vimeo.com/125241050

Bogey wrote:Here's my most recent attempts from last week. I would recommend extra supportive underwear for viewing as its quite laughable and lame[GRINNING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]https://vimeo.com/125241050

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm not that much further on than this allthough as has been said moving onto concrete and getting over that fear helps with the height. I'm currently struggling with the timing. Getting the force of the pop to lift the board without my feet stopping the board coming up. I'm finding constant practice really helps especially in groups of 5. Got this from another thread from Steve (Gor64) and currently just able to manage 5 in a row at some point in an hours practice. Really getting frustrated with not enough height to get up a curb though!

I haven't filmed mine for a while so will make it an aim for this weekend and will hopefully surprise myself. Will stick it on this thread if i get round to it. Keep at it mate, good to know there are others at a similar level as me with flat ground. Keeps me motivated to think we're all at it together.

GarethV wrote:sounds like your not kicking your front foot up the board enough when you attempt them. You should have your front foot half way up the board when you start however when you land it will be much further up and very close to the nose.

Push the tail down, jump and kick in to the board to push the tail off the ground and level the board out.

its a simultanous jump and kick

Actually screw my poor description there must be a 'Braile" tutorial which are usually excellent just like Warwicks transitions trick tips are.

I've been trying to learn to ollie while I chicken out on doing my first drop in on a small quarter pipe.. I think I'm starting to get there, video I've taken shows all 4 wheels leaving the ground but it is very blurry footage off my phone and i can't see whether the tail actually leaves the ground. Even if it does the max height would be no more than half an inch and that is probably a gross exaggeration!

Bogey wrote:Here's my most recent attempts from last week. I would recommend extra supportive underwear for viewing as its quite laughable and lame[GRINNING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]https://vimeo.com/125241050

Try standing more on your toes before you jump (that'll automatically put your toes more to the center of your board, not on the edge)Jump UP instead of sideways (or in the direction of your board)Pull up your knees once airborne... it'll give the board room to move further off the groundWhen coming down, don't straighten your legs as much but keep your knees more bent, making your body come down with the board instead of pushing the board back to the ground. It'll buy you more air-time.Keep it up, you're close!

Agree with the above post. You want to be more on the balls of your feet, kind of on your toes a little, heels off the deck. Your feet are too flat. And that front part of both your feet needs to be more in the center, so wiggle your feet back a bit, so your toes aren't over the edge of the board. It's all in the front of your feet. If you're making a hole in your front shoe, see if you can get that hole a little more towards the toes.

I think most tutorials only focus on two things: kicking down the tail and dragging the front foot forwards. Those are important steps but they are not going to make your board magically fly with you on top of it. It's important to realize that what you actually are doing is jumping to get your BODY up in the air. The whole "kick down tail & drag front foot" thing is just a technique make your board follow you when you jump.

I think you could benefit from also practicing ollieing without a board just to learn how to get your body up in the air when doing the ollie motion.

I think most tutorials only focus on two things: kicking down the tail and dragging the front foot forwards. Those are important steps but they are not going to make your board magically fly with you on top of it. It's important to realize that what you actually are doing is jumping to get your BODY up in the air. The whole "kick down tail & drag front foot" thing is just a technique make your board follow you when you jump.

I think you could benefit from also practicing ollieing without a board just to learn how to get your body up in the air when doing the ollie motion.

I agree with Mr Phil and here's why. Two years ago I blew my ACL at the young age of 41, I didn't skate for an entire year trying to recover from the surgery. I have spent the last year trying to learn how to jump again. The push down drag your foot part was a no brainer after skating for 31 years but my muscles just didn't remember how to jump anymore

It's still a work in progress trying to find any sort of pop like I had two years ago but as anyone will tell you just keep practising.

New guy here. Great topic, I'm 45 and just returning to skating. I used to be able to Ollie pretty good. I've since had back surgery, and now my body (I'm healed) is reluctant to jump. Ollies are a struggle for me right now too.

Agree those Braile vids are great! I'll be following this thread for more tips. Good luck everyone!

Been wrestling with this since starting again if I'm brutally honest and my ollie has certainly got worse since a bad ankle fracture about a year ago. Mine is good enough to get me up a curb, over little bumps etc but as soon as it comes to skatepark blocks, jump ramps or anything higher than 6" I struggle. I have since found that kicking the tail down much harder helps as the nose snaps up a little higher allowing me to control it a bit better. However I am now under the impression that my steep kicktail probably doesn't help. Thinking of going a little mellower on the next purchase. SIGH

Lower trucks, smaller wheels and a not-so-steep tail makes it less of an effort to ollie. That setup won't give you maximum height but I think it might help you learn.

I had a 21 year break in my skating and picked it up again this summer. After a while my ollies were almost back to what they were but just recently I changed to a lower and lighter setup and it certainly made it easier and more fun!

I need to get back to practicing ollies. I use a smaller set than my usual ride and it helps significantly. I'm hoping eventually after much practice, that I'll be able to ollie my ramp setup. Like when I used to snowboard; once I got good I could do tricks on any sort of board. Not always with extreme style. : )

I was particularly interested in what he says about the impact of tail shape.

Interesting read. After promising myself I wasn't going to get frustrated by trying to relearn ollies, I've started trying to get them!Can get some decent pop with the back wheels wedged in a crack at the local skatepark or agains a tuft of grass in my patio at home but as soon as I try it with the wheels free to move, either the board try's to come out from under me as I pop or I pull my back foot off the board and put it on the floor - which is gonna lead to me doing the splits if I'm not careful! Got a mental block about trying to land on the board when it can move about...

Very new here and pleased to see so many great tips on this topic - something I was also struggling with like so many. I Skated in the early 80's and never learned to Ollie so this was a challenge to say the least. I seem to be able to get the board off the ground 5 inches or so now so it's coming along.

Also just wanted to point out a couple of things that helped me :- Stand on the balls of your feet – think about it, you can’t jump from your heels right?- Your back foot should be on the tail and in the pocket – not on or slightly off the edge. This is what worked for me at least. Because I was on the very edge of the tail, my foot was sometimes hitting the ground. As soon as I backed it off the edge and in the pocket, it made a world of difference for me.- Use you ankle to pop that board – just takes a good snap (so –to – speak) of the tail to get a good pop. Get off the board test it out and just pop the board with your back foot using your ankle. It doesn’t take very much at all.- MANY folks I see learning the Ollie seem to get the idea fairly quickly and pop the board while dragging the front foot upwards. The main issue I was having - and what I see so many people doing is that after they pop and drag the front foot up to raise the board up, their BACK foot (the one they just popped with) stays down and PREVENTS the board form going up. You then have your feet applying forces in different or opposite directions. The result is the board doesn’t rise –It can’t right? You’re preventing it I was doing this for a month before it was pointed out to me. Once you pop and drag your front foot, you must remember to raise your back foot up (bending your knees up towards your chest) to allow clearance for the tail to rise up.

It looked to me from Bogeys video (Many thanks for posting!!) that a) his back foot would hit the ground (too far back on the tail) and b) he was not lifting his back foot after popping the board and thus preventing it from rising. So, so close!!!!!

In any case, I hope what I have written is clearer than mud and thanks again all sooo much for all this input and sharing !

Very new here and pleased to see so many great tips on this topic - something I was also struggling with like so many. I Skated in the early 80's and never learned to Ollie so this was a challenge to say the least. I seem to be able to get the board off the ground 5 inches or so now so it's coming along.

Welcome aboard. I've not seen that video before so thanks for that and the tips. I'm definitely going to see if I can use this to get my ollie into better shape.

I must admit that at 41 I can't ollie anywhere near as high as I used to be able to. Ollie's were pretty much the only thing I was good at as a kid, I could ollie higher than most my friends and other skaters I knew. Fact of the matter is that even if your technique is good, your joints get stiffer and you get less flexible. I guess yoga and stretching and shit like that would really help. On the plus side I can skate a bowl better now than when I was a kid.

mr_sooty wrote:I must admit that at 41 I can't ollie anywhere near as high as I used to be able to. Ollie's were pretty much the only thing I was good at as a kid, I could ollie higher than most my friends and other skaters I knew. Fact of the matter is that even if your technique is good, your joints get stiffer and you get less flexible. I guess yoga and stretching and shit like that would really help. On the plus side I can skate a bowl better now than when I was a kid.

I didn't realise just how stiff my joints had gotten until I started skating again. Been doing lots of stretching, some of it yoga stretches off the internet, which has definitely made me more flexible.

mr_sooty wrote:I must admit that at 41 I can't ollie anywhere near as high as I used to be able to. Ollie's were pretty much the only thing I was good at as a kid, I could ollie higher than most my friends and other skaters I knew. Fact of the matter is that even if your technique is good, your joints get stiffer and you get less flexible. I guess yoga and stretching and shit like that would really help. On the plus side I can skate a bowl better now than when I was a kid.

Beigebomber wrote:There's no magic formua, but there are some tricks to it.One is to get some really crappy rusted bearings just for learning. That way you can learn on a hard surface without worrying about the board slipping away. The more seized they are, the better.

I just got some new bearings that seem to be a bit stiff, and they definitely help with trying to pop without the board moving from under me. Was gonna send em back but they could make a good 'training aid' as they also make me work harder to gain speed haha.!

I haven't ollied in 30 years so after reading this thread I thought I would give it a go on my sons modern board. First of all the modern trucks must be set up for eight stone kids so I wrentched them tight, it was difficult even balancing my 14 stone and size 11 feet, really wobbly. Well let's say it didn't go to plan.....I fell on my ass and almost smashed my patio doors; and that isn't a euphemism!!

After about about 25mins I managed to get it about an inch off the ground and land it. I now need to rest as my hip, knees and back are killing - it sucks getting old!!!

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